Coast school confirms whooping cough case

After completing a journalism degree at the University of the Sunshine Coast, I joined the Sunshine Coast Daily in 2010. As the Daily’s police reporter, the round is unprectible, diverse and challenging, but also exciting and is a dream position for me. In between heading to emergency incidents, I love getting the chance to write about amateur and professional theatre and the arts. I’ve also worked in various community roles at the Caboolture News, Buderim Chronicle and Caloundra Weekly. Having...

The school stated on its Facebook page Monday morning that "whooping cough has been confirmed".

The school did not indicate how many children were infected.

"If you have a child with a persistent cough please keep them home, visit the doctor (inform the doctor that whooping cough is confirmed at your child's school) please phone the school and keep us updated," the post read.

Figures obtained by the Daily in March this year showed nearly half of Coast students don't bother getting free school-based vaccinations for deadly illnesses like whooping cough, cervical cancer and tetanus.

Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service figures showed only between 33% and 58% of Year 8 students in the region were receiving their vaccines in the school immunisation program